John and Judy Prim have returned to the U.S. for a visit. They have spent the last five years in Antigua, Guatemala, establishing "Hope Center."
In 2008, they left their family, sold their home and cars and set off to provide hope for girls in Guatemala.
At 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, the Prim's will attend One Hope Ministries' annual benefit dinner. They will be sharing the adventure, challenges and progress of empowering adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves through education. The theme of the night will be "Precious Gifts."
The dinner will be held at Living Hope Church, 777 S. Meacham Road, in Elk Grove Village, and is open to the public. The dinner will also feature a silent auction and a raffle. Tickets can be purchased for $25 per person.
For information or tickets, email • Send Your news to nbrcalendar@dailyherald.com.">info@onehopeministries.org;http://info@onehopeministries.org[/URL]. All proceeds will be used to advance Hope Center's residential program.
"Hope Center's mission is to break the cycle of poverty by equipping adolescent girls with a good education and an introduction to our hope in Christ," said Judy Prim, ministry director. "We work with girls, ages 12-18, who would otherwise not have an opportunity to continue their education past elementary school, by providing a scholarship to begin junior high and a residential program which offers 'Life Skills.' The program is designed to meet their needs and prepare them for a bright future."
According to the ministry, an educated girl will invest 90 percent of her future income in her family, compared to 35 percent for a boy. Yet 250 million adolescent girls live in poverty and are more likely than boys to be uneducated, married at a young age and exposed to HIV/AIDS. Today, less than two cents of every international development dollar goes to girls,
Hope Center works to impact the lives of adolescent girls in Guatemala. With educational opportunities, access to technology and Biblical instruction they can achieve success as individuals, as members of their local communities and as contributors to Guatemalan society.
One Hope Ministries is a nonprofit organization established in Illinois. The doors of Hope Center were opened on July 17, 2008. The program is ongoing and in full process at this time with girls working their way through the program. The only barrier to empowering more girls and full implementation of the program is financial. Hope Center, like so many nonprofits, is stretched to its limits
